Airplane



R. M. GRUSS Aug. 21, 1934.

AIRPLANE Original Filed March 11. 1930 INVENTOR- AoLAAw M 6 00..

BY m

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIRPLANE Roland M. GI'II, San Francisco, Calif of one-half to George II. Denny,

ciloo, Calif.

ll s'ner San Fran- Application March 11, 1980, Serial No. 484,866 Renewed April 16, 1934 5 China. 48-50) power for an airplane of the character described that will allow the same to fly over an extended period of time without requiring attendance.

More particularly it is proposed to use as a source of power the products of combustion of a slow burning fuse confined in an enclosure communicating with an engine which latter drives the propeller shaft of the airplane.

It is further proposed to provide certain structural arrangements by means of which the source of power may be effectively utilized in driving an engine of the type described. 7

It is further proposed to provide in connection with an airplane of the character described control means for elevating and lowering the plane and to cause these control means to be operated by the source of pressure.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows my airplane in side elevation;

Figure 2 shows the operating means for my airplane partly in side elevation, and partly in vertical section;

Figure 3 a transverse section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 a transverse section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2.

While I have shown only the preferred form of the invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In its preferred form my invention comprises an airplane l which may be of conventional construction, and which has a propeller 2 arranged revolvably at the front end thereof. A tube 3 preferably made of light metal such as aluminum extends longitudinally through the body of the airplane and has a cap 4 threaded on its front end. The latter has a bracket 5 extending forwardly therefrom, the bracket terminating rearwardly of the propeller in a vertical member 6 which furnishes bearing as at 'l to the propeller shaft 8, the rear end of which is supported in a bearing 9 associated with the cap 4. In the upper end of the member 6 is mounted an engine 10 of conventional type such as may be found in various toys now on the market. The engine comprises a block 11 pivoted to the upper end of the member 6 by means of a pin 12 extending from. the block through the latter member, the block being held to the member by means of a spring 13 hearing on a nut 14. The block has a cylinder 15 attached thereto as shown in the drawing, and is formed with a central port 16 leading into the cylinder, which latter is adapted to communicate alternately with the intake pipe 1'7, communicating through the cap 4 with the 6 tube 3, and an exhaust port 18 as the cylinder swings back and forth on its pivot. A piston 19 reciprocates in .the cylinder and connects through a fixed connecting rod 20 with the crank 21 formed in the propeller shaft 8. The piston 19 and the piston rod 20 sliding in the cylinder 15 rock the cylinder about the pivot 12 as the crank 21 swings the lower end of the rod 20 in a circle. This swinging movement of the cylinder 15 and the circumference of the circle described by the crank 21 is indicated by the broken lines in Figure 3. The extent of rocking of the cylinder 15 and the rod 20 is shown by the straight broken lines and these lines further show how the central cylinder port 16 is alternately made to register with the inlet tube 17 and the exhaust opening 18.

The rear end of the tube 3 has an enlarged cap 22 threaded thereto, and a valve 23 is seated in the rear wall of the cap as shown at 24 by means of pressure prevailing within the tube. As will be seen from the drawing this valve may be dropped into the inoperative dotted line position shown in Figure 2, for the purpose of giving access to the interior of the tube. The valve is also provided with a spring pressed safety valve indicated at 25 which allows the pressure means to escape when the pressure exceeds a predetermined degree.

Pressure is produced in the tube 3 by means of a time fuse indicated at 27 which may be of any suitable type and preferably comprises a train of black powder indicated at 28 surrounded by a suitable wrapper shown at 29. This fuse is preferably made of the slow burning type so that considerable time is consumed before the fuse is consumed after the same is ignited at the rear end. To facilitate introduction of a new fuse and removal of the old fuse, I provide a perforated pipe 30 which fits the fuse fairly closely so that the fuse may be introduced into the pipe before the latter is inserted into the tube 3, and the burned-out fuse may be removed by removal of the pipe 30, both insertion and removal of the pipe taking place through the rear aperture in the cap as after the valve 28 has been dropped into the inoperative position shown in dotted lines.

The rear end of the airplane may terminate in the conventional vertical stabilizer 81 having a rudder 32 pivoted thereto, a horizontal stabilizer 34 and elevators 35 mounted on a pin 38 Journaled in the vertical stabilizer. The elevator is operated by the pressure within the tube 3 by means of a lever 3'! connected to the front end of one of the elevators by a link 38, and connected at its other end through a link 39 with a piston 40 reciprocably mounted in a small cylinder 41 communicating with the cap 22, a spring 44. urging the piston downward. The lever 3'! is fulcrumed as at 45 in a bracket 46 rising from the cap 22. The rudder 82 is preferably pivoted with suillcient friction to re-. main in any position to which it may have been adiusted.

The operation of my device is as follows: After the fuse has been inserted into the tube 3 in the manner previously described, the rear end thereof is ignited by any suitable means, as for instance, by a match introduced through the hole in the rear wall of the cap 22. The fuse will now slowly burn from the rear end toward the front end and in doing so will create gases producing pressure in the pipe 3, which pressure communicates itself to the inside of the cap 22, for holding the valve 23 in place,

and also through the pipe 1'! to the engine,

so as to drive the latter and cause the piston 19 to reciprocate for operating the propeller shaft 8 and the propeller 2. After the propeller has gained xnomentum it will pull the airplane forward, say for a distance of twenty or thirty feet, until a desired speed has been reached. At the same time the pressure within the rear cap 22 will urge the piston 41 upward, which through the lever 37 operates the elevators 35 into the proper position for causing the plane to rise from the ground surface. If the plane should travel straight forward it will continue sufllciently far to cause the operator to lose sight of the same, and it therefore is to be preferred that the airplane should travel in a circle which may be .accomplished by proper positioning of the rudder 32. According to my present experiments the fuse will burn for about seven minutes, and will provide ample power for causing the airplane to fly for that length of time. After the fuse is burned out the pressure inthepipe'3aswellasinthecaps4and22 willdecreasesoastoallowtheenginetodie gradually, and also to cause the piston 40 of the elevator actuating means to be urged downward by the spring 44 which sets the elevators 35 into landing position, so that at this time the airplane will land substantially in the same manner as an ordinary airplane subject to human control.

It should be understood that the perforated pipe 30 is principally used for the purpose of facilitating insertion and removal of the fuse, and that it is not a necessary element for the successful operation of my device.

I claim:

I. In combination, an engine, a tube having connection with the engine and a time-fuse in the tube causing pressure to be created therein for driving the engine when the fuse is ignited the tube being dimensioned so as to be substantially filled by the fuse.

2. In combination, an engine, an enclosure having connection therewith and a fuse in the enclosure causing pressure to be created therein for driving the engine when the fuse is ignited the enclosure being dimensioned so as to be substantially filled by the fuse.

3. linv a toy airplane or the like having a propeller revolvable thereon, an engine arranged in driving relation to the propeller, an enclosure having communication therewith and a fuse in said enclosure causing pressure to be generated therein for driving the engine when the fuse is ignited.

4. In combination, an airplane having a propeller. revolvable thereon, an engine for revolving the propeller, a tube having communication with the engine and extending lengthwise through the airplane, a fuse adapted for introduction into the tube from the rear end for driving the engine when the fuse is ignited and means for closing the rear end of the tube.

5. In combination, an airplane having a propeller revolvable thereon, an engine for revolt"- ing the propeller, a tube having communication with the engine, and extending lengthwise through the airplane, a perforated pipe within the tube and a fuse in the pipe causing pressure to be created therein for driving the engine when the fuse is ignited.

ROLAND M. GRUSS. 

